The future of Africa is, in large part, the future
of the Church. When Pope Benedict XVI travels to Africa March 17-23, he will be
visiting the home of the world’s oldest Christian communities — and its largest
new field of converts.

Christ
himself visited the African continent with Mary and Joseph during the flight to
Egypt. Early Christianity flourished there. It gave the Church some of its
leading early lights: Origen, St. Athanasius, St. Cyril, leaders of the Alexandrian
school, Tertullian, St. Cyprian and, most importantly, St. Augustine.

Sacramental
Christianity never left Africa through two millennia. The continent produced
African popes — St. Victor I, St. Melchiades and St. Gelasius I — and Orthodox
churches: the Greek Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Coptic Church of Egypt and
the Church of Ethiopia.

All
the same, the Church is new to vast stretches of the continent.

The
rise of Islam and the deep tribalisms on the continent have kept the faith from
spreading far and wide. It was only in relatively recent years that
missionaries sparked new growth in the Church. “Relatively recent” in Church
time, in this case, means the 19th century.

But
by the middle of this century, more than half the world’s Christians will live
there.

Consider
the progress made in Africa even in the last 15 years: More than half of the
country’s bishops were named in that time period. The continent’s Catholic
population has increased by nearly a third. The number of parishes has increased
more than 20%, the number of priests and seminarians has risen nearly a third
and the number of women religious nearly 20%. The last 15 years is a
significant period of time in Africa — it’s the time since the last Synod of
Bishops for Africa.

Pope
John Paul II loved Africa. He visited 10 countries in his extensive travels
there. In 1995, he presented the results of the 1994 synod to African bishops
in Cameroon. On March 17 Pope Benedict XVI will also come to Cameroon, this
time to present a preview of a new African synod to the body of bishops now in
place in Africa.

Pope
John Paul II’s 1995 post-synodal apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Africa (The Church in Africa) listed challenges facing the continent. The new
synod will no doubt look at that list and reassess:

“Restoring
hope to youth.”

Said
Pope John Paul II in Ecclesia in
Africa (No. 115): “The economic
situation of poverty has a particularly negative impact on the young. They
embark on adult life with very little enthusiasm for a present riddled with
frustrations, and they look with still less hope to a future, which to them
seems sad and somber.” As John Thavis at Catholic News Service pointed out,
poverty hasn’t seen much relief since then. Urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa
spiked more than 15%, draining city social services and creating “a whole new
urban landscape of poverty.” But there are signs of hope, too: The number of
Church-run schools in Africa has grown more than 10% and the number of students
is up nearly 40%. Pope Benedict will rally the youth of Africa in an event
planned especially for them.

“The scourge
of AIDS.”

More
than 20 million Africans have been infected with AIDS/HIV since 1994. In
sub-Saharan Africa today, about 7.5% of all adults aged 15-49 are HIV-positive.
The last African synod targeted irresponsible sexual behavior as the heart of
the AIDS crisis and said: “The companionship, joy, happiness and peace which
Christian marriage and fidelity provide, and the safeguard which chastity
gives, must be continuously presented to the faithful, particularly the young”
(No. 223). The Register recently spotlighted Catholic anti-AIDS efforts in
Africa that emphasize abstinence: They happen to be the only ones producing
real results. Expect Benedict to encourage them.

“‘Beat your
swords into ploughshares’,” wrote John Paul, citing Isaiah. “No more wars!”

The
wars of Africa are still being fought, and still being decried from Rome and by
bishops, as the Register’s World page attests. Though Catholics there insist
that great strides have been made against tribalism, ethnic conflicts and turf
battles have raged in Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia, Liberia and Ivory Coast since
1994, killing millions. Expect Pope Benedict to point out the absurdity of the
killing.

“Refugees
and displaced persons.”

Another
problem cited by Pope John Paul II continues to plague African nations. Some 4
million people have been made refugees, and more than 10 million have been
“internally displaced.” Often, it has been Christians fleeing oppressive
regimes who have been hardest hit. Pope Benedict XVI has taken several
occasions to call upon Africans to welcome refugees from other African nations.

“The burden
of the international debt.”

In
part because of the synod, Jubilee Year 2000 efforts did a great deal to lessen
the debt burden on African nations. Pope John Paul II was a leader of a
successful international effort. A major obstacle was removed. But going
forward, as Gulu, Uganda, Archbishop John Baptist Odama pointed out recently in
Washington: “Despite so much aid flowing into Africa, it has had little
tangible impact.” He described in detail how assistance is waylaid and never
reaches the people most in need.

“Dignity of
the African woman.”

This
will be one focus of Pope Benedict XVI’s trip. His trip will end with his
meeting with Catholic movements for the promotion of women at Santo Antonio
Parish of Luanda.

Pope
Benedict has made calls for a “new Pentecost” a theme of recent apostolic
journeys to America and Australia. That prayer is particularly apt in Africa.

The
sheer number of languages the new synod will have to handle is testimony to the
varied African population: Swahili, Arabic, French, Portugeuse, and Dutch, for
starters.

But
the continent of Africa has been blessed by strong witnesses to the faith. The
relatively young Church on much of the continent has been marked by courage
amid persecution and real, sustained commitment to the poor and suffering.

John
Paul II called for a new Pentecost in his Ecclesia in Africa. The demographics make it inevitable: The strength of the faith in
Africa will determine the strength of the Church in the 21st century.